ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bear — the animal
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. track — a song
  6. spring — a coil
  7. fall — to drop
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spring — the season
  10. craft — a skill
  11. current — electric
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. fall — to drop
  18. craft — boats
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. current — of water
  21. current — happening now
  22. fall — the season
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. spring — of water

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com